Students volunteer at Loretto Motherhouse
Posted on September 18, 2024, by Loretto Community
Photo: Rachel Brahm
On June 1, students from Loretto-associated schools — Loretto Academy in El Paso, Nerinx Hall High School in St. Louis and St. Mary’s Academy in Denver — arrived to spend a week at the Motherhouse. They enjoyed time with one another and Loretto Community members, took part in planned activities and worked hard.
They gardened, painted, cleaned, helped out in Loretto Archives, baked scones, cleared paths at the Nature Preserve Cemetery, built a wagon with Cody Rakes, manager of the Loretto Motherhouse Farm, and took care of numerous other tasks. Whew.
During their visit they participated in a Bioblitz led by New Pioneers for a Sustainable Future. A Bioblitz is a method for obtaining a count of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms in a particular locale. On their last day, they took a trip to Bernheim Forest and Arboretum.
Back in April, the Outdoor Explorers Club from Nerinx Hall had journeyed to the Motherhouse, taking part in tours of Archives, the Motherhouse campus, Motherhouse Farm and Nature Preserve Cemetery. They even got to camp at Mary’s Lake!
Photo: Rachel Brahm
This group also put in many work hours. Motherhouse staff member Rachel Brahm shares, “Community members and residents loved spending time with the girls during their meals, and everyone raved about their hard work and positivity. We look forward to having this group back in the future!”
The Motherhouse Community happily welcomes students whenever they arrive.
Photo courtesy of Jen Staed CoL
To read all of the articles in the fall 2024 issue, click here.
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Thank you so much for this reminder of the place that the Motherhouse holds in Kentucky and in the hearts of those of us who still cherish our Loretto education and spiritual formation. A group of my classmates from Loretto El Paso and I meet together over Zoom once a month and have gone far beyond high school memories to appreciate our pathways in service throughout life. One is a retired U.S. Navy captain still doing nursing, another a retired nurse- infectious disease specialist enjoying retirement, a retired librarian who sings in a church choir, and a physician who volunteers her services to underserved people and to teach preclinical medical students.
Thank you so much, Ms. Maly, for continuing to hold Loretto in your heart. And please thank your classmates for doing so, too.